QF 3.7 inch file photo [11488]

Ordnance QF 3.7 inch Mountain Howitzer Field Gun

Country of OriginUnited Kingdom
TypeField Gun
Caliber94.000 mm
Barrel Length1.100 m
Weight842.000 kg
Ammunition Weight9.10 kg
Range5.485 km
Muzzle Velocity297 m/s

Contributor:

ww2dbaseIn 1906, the Indian Army requested a modern mountain gun for service in the mountainous northern areas of India, but financial constraints delayed the production until 1915. The first guns were deployed to the Indian Army in early 1917. The a mountain battery of the Indian (Derajat) 22nd Frontier Force was one of the first units to receive these new guns, and they operated them in action during WW1. These Ordnance QF 3.7 inch mountain guns were designed so that they could be broken into eight parts, each carried by a pack animal, for transportation over difficult terrain; the heavy part weighed 112 kilograms. A well-trained gun crew could reassemble a gun for action in about two minutes. They were the first British-made field gun to be equipped with split trails. During this time, they were equipped with wooden wheels, largely for weight savings reasons, but particularly later on they would more likely be seen with metal wheels with rubber tires. These 3.7-inch guns became standard mountain guns during the inter-war years, not only with the Indian Army but with other British and Commonwealth armies as well. During WW2, they were used by British, Indian, and New Zealand troops in North Africa, Burma, Italy, and the Netherlands. A light weight variant design was also placed into limited production for British airborne units, but they were short-lived as more modern American counterparts became available. They saw no more action after 1945 but were not declared obsolete until 1960.

Source: Wikipedia ww2dbase

Last Major Revision: Nov 2010

Photographs

Indian troops operating a QF 3.7 inch mountain gun at Mt. Scopus, Palestine, 1917 or 1920Carden-Loyd Mk VI Mortar Carrier with trailer and 3.7 inch QF Howitzer Mk I, circa 1929, photo 1 of 2Carden-Loyd Mk VI Mortar Carrier with trailer and 3.7 inch QF Howitzer Mk I, circa 1929, photo 2 of 2Indian 3.7 inch mountain gun firing, India, circa 1930; this crew was commanded by Sergeant Harry Ewin of No.11 Light Battery, British Royal Artillery
See all 9 photographs of Ordnance QF 3.7 inch Mountain Howitzer Field Gun



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Ordnance QF 3.7 inch Mountain Howitzer Field Gun Photo Gallery
Indian troops operating a QF 3.7 inch mountain gun at Mt. Scopus, Palestine, 1917 or 1920
See all 9 photographs of Ordnance QF 3.7 inch Mountain Howitzer Field Gun


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